The JP Morgan conference uptick in biopharma deal-making has begun with more than 20 deals announced this week, including the latest Bayer/Evotec partnership and Pfizer’s cancer tie-up with eFFECTOR.

Shionogi licenses US commercial rights for OIC drug to BioDelivery and rights in three EU markets to Sandoz. Tessa will test its T-cell therapy with Merck’s Keytruda in cervical cancer.

Combining Editas’ CRISPR gene-editing technology with BlueRock’s pluripotent stem cell capabilities, the companies hope to leverage each other to create novel gene therapies for cancer, neurological, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases.

Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Dealmaking column is a survey of recent health care transactions listed by relevant industry segment – In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals – and then categorized by type – Acquisition, Alliance, or Financing. This month’s column covers deals announced in September 2017.